a song in five parts
by cyanoscarlet
Summary: Five moments in which Selphie is larger than life itself, as told by her friends. (Entry for The Successor Challenge 2019.)
1. after

"Say, Quistis," Selphie suddenly called out, "what do you want to eat after today?" No sooner had she asked than a Marlboro jumped out from nowhere and lunged for them.

In brief annoyance, Quistis rushed over and quickly made work of the creature with a recently-drawn Firaga. "Are you serious? We're practically in the middle of Time Compression here. How do we even get home?"

Selphie nodded in thanks, quickly returning the favor with a well-aimed hit on the Chimera approaching Quistis' back. "Point taken," she shrugged amiably, before circling the periphery of the clock tower.

"Just think of it, though!" Selphie pressed on, waving around her weapon like a slingshot. "A bacon quiche lorraine," – _roundhouse kick_ – "a pizza margherita," – _jump tackle_ – "and a whole medium-rare steak!" — _head shot_. She grinned proudly at her handiwork.

Quistis smiled in approval as Selphie returned to her side, their backs close together. _Like old times_, she thought fondly. "It does give you some motivation, yes," she agreed.

"I know, right?" Selphie enthused, rocking her head back reassuringly. A group of Iron Giants began to surround them. The excitement amid the tension was palpable and, Quistis had to admit, infectious.

"Edea's apple pie would be nice," she finally said. And this would probably be the part where Selphie would "glomp" her tightly, if it were not for their current predicament, so Quistis settled for bopping her back teasingly before extending her whip. "After?"

Selphie jingled the chains of her nunchaku in response. "Yeah, after."

They _will_ make it out alive.


	2. spark

As far as Squall was concerned, Selphie was, in many ways, unconventional.

He would later find out that she was much, much more than that, but suffice to say a "Crash-Into Hello" and "Meet Cute" moment, as Rinoa called it, was not exactly what one would call a "good" first impression.

Zell would always gladly beg to disagree, but still.

She definitely had beautiful eyes, though. Clear and childlike and full of life, befitting one with a big and generous heart.

Irvine called her the Heart of the team, a title pretty much everyone agreed belonged to her alone. Quistis often confided in her the many times her strong facade betrayed her inner weaknesses. And though Seifer had always expressed how much she "annoyed" him in the past, everyone was sure she definitely still occupied a space in his heart.

As Squall watched Selphie perform not long after the Trabia Garden tragedy, he greatly felt the tender tears she had been nursing since then - maybe even before that. The spark of life within him, which he thought he lost, suddenly grew into a massive inferno and threatened to consume him whole.

Only Rinoa saw him cry that night. She would thank Selphie for it much later with a quiet but earnest hug, but he didn't know that yet.

He definitely would, too, once he made it out of this place alive.


	3. change

She was Irvine's first friend.

He was, at that time, all of six years and a month, sullen-eyed and unwilling to interact with his fellow children – _orphans_, he reminded himself. They were orphans now, living in an orphanage on some island in the middle of nowhere. The others didn't seem to mind, continuing on with their daily children's lives as if nothing had ever happened to them.

It all felt unreal.

The last real thing for him was the sound of a gunshot, and warm, red liquid dripping from his mother's face, and a whisper. _"Run…"_

"Irvine…"

He blinked. Only Selphie shook him persistently like this. "What do you want?"

She pouted, like she'd always done ever since she started bothering him like this. She hasn't stopped shaking him yet. "Be my friend already."

_Annoying._

"I said I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

It always went like this every day, down to the exact hour – not that he could tell time here, but somehow, he always knew exactly when Selphie would come to bother him, like clockwork. One, two, three times, then she would get bored and leave. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Only, this time, she didn't go away.

The shaking stopped. "Irvine… don't you like me?"

That was unexpected.

Irvine opened his mouth, a comeback ready at the tip of his tongue, but nothing came out. Selphie continued to pout, this time with inquisitive eyes he couldn't look away from. "That's… not it. I don't 'not-like' you, but I don't… well, 'like-like' you… yet." _Uh._

That wasn't what he wanted to say at all!

Selphie's lips formed a small 'O' as she considered his words, before they formed back into that patented smile everyone knew her for. "Okay, so that means we're friends!" She stood up and began to leave, giving a playful parting wink. "No taking-back now, okay?"

He didn't have an answer to that, either.

A yellow butterfly approached him, gently landing on his hand. Irvine raised it slightly, a small smile forming. Maybe she'd forget what he said the next day, or maybe this is all a dream.

"Kinneas!" Simmons barked. "Get up. The SeeD from Balamb Garden are here."

Irvine rose. Hyne, they were treating him, their best marksman, like a slave here. And he was having such a good dream, too.

Squall was already seated inside, steely eyes glaring at him – same as always. Beside him was a pretty raven-haired girl in baby blue. And with them…

"Hi there, Sir Kinneas!" a girlish voice came from his left. "SeeD Selphie Tilmitt, at your service!" She extended a gloved hand merrily, green eyes glowing with excitement. Irvine shook her hand, a fond warmth coursing through his entire body. "Irvine Kinneas. Nice to meet you."

Selphie's smile widened. "Let's work well together!" Even her wink was as beautiful as always.

He was relieved that nothing had changed between them, at least.

She was Irvine's first friend, and hopefully, something more.


	4. four

Zell found Selphie in the outer garden, seated on a rickety classroom desk-chair, with various papers and brochures splayed on the small space before her. A portable lamp hung carelessly above her on a low-lying tree branch, with several moths gathered around it. She seemed to be deep in thought, not minding the few insects that began to fly around her bare legs. Normally she, like Rinoa, would swat them away with a wrath that sent even grown men crying, but today she was unusually quiet.

Still, dinner was already served and Squall wanted everyone together, so he had a job to do. "Selph, are you coming? Food's getting cold."

She looked up with a start, not bothering to hide the redness around her eyes. "H-Hi, Zell. I'll be done in a minute." She exhaled forcefully, arching her back to give herself a good stretch, before standing up to meet him. "Let's go?"

Selphie looked really tired these days.

It was a miracle she was able to keep herself together after, well.

"You know, Zell," she started, catching his attention, "The Garden Festival was actually Florence's idea, of all people." She smiled at the memory, suddenly taking a left turn from the building entrance. They walked in silence for a few minutes before reaching a small, dimly-lit clearing. Before them were four mounds of earth, covered with fresh snow flowers. Selphie knelt down and put her hands together. "Quiet as she was, Flor hated the coldness of Garden, and always thought it would be nice if the students could unwind and enjoy themselves, even for a night. That was four years ago, by the way."

Selphie's eyes glistened as she fondly recalled her four friends, whom she often referred to in her blog as her "constants" in Trabia, before she transferred to Balamb. Four brave, wonderful people, who lost their lives defending their school and home, and now rest here before them. Her choked sobs the night after it happened broke the group's hearts in more ways than one. Even Squall, who was normally unflappable, had excused himself quickly, Rinoa running after him in concern.

Claude was undoubtedly the "class clown," an old-language moniker that, for some reason, never went out of style just to fit him well. Jace was much like Quistis, stern but charming, the contradiction of which greatly annoyed poor Myrr, who harbored a longtime unrequited crush on him. Then there was Flor, who loved Selphie more than her own overbearing family, so much so that she left the estate she refused to call home to enroll at Trabia Garden together. "Sometimes, it makes me wonder if I was too late to notice how she felt, you know," Selphie mused. "Despite how I usually am, I pretty much don't pay attention to my own love life. Funny, isn't it?"

Zell chuckled, remembering her latest attempt at setting Squall and Rinoa up for the umpteenth time. He stopped counting after the twentieth one.

"The day it happened, Jace was going to confess to Myrr," she revealed, this time tears welling up her eyes. "He said so in his last email. I always teased those two, you know. Myrr was so obvious, but Jace, nothing. I really never expected he actually liked her back. I wonder if they were able to talk." Selphie turned to face Zell, who wordlessly opened his arms for a tight hug. It pained him so, how they were close like this, yet he still felt he couldn't do anything for her. Maybe Irvine was the better man for the job, after all.

They finally let go after a good ten minutes of silence, Selphie wiping her tears with blackened fingers. Zell couldn't stop himself from laughing softly, and before long she joined in, as well. "You remind me so much of Claude, Zell," she explained with a small grin. "If you both played the guitar, it'd be perfect."

"Unfortunately, I play the banjo," he answered. "It's not much, but…"

A twinkle of an idea returned to her eyes, and Selphie shook his hands repeatedly. "Of course I don't mind! Do you need speakers? A spiffy costume? A cowboy hat?" She asked in rapid-fire, as she led him away from the graves of her friends.

"H-Hey, I didn't say I was gonna play for your festival!" Zell objected, still not letting go of her hand. Selphie looked back, wagging her other finger at him. "Oh, you don't get to back out now. Who else am I gonna get to play for me?" She stuck her tongue out at him. Well, there goes his chances at getting off Festival Duty now. Should've listened to Squall when he had the chance.

Selphie finally released him as soon as they got back. "I'll be fine here. See you at dinner!" She waved, before skipping back to her dorm room.

He was about to return to the cafeteria when Selphie called out one more time. "Zell?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, Zell. For coming for me." She smiled before leaving again, this time not turning back.

"Anytime," Zell waved back. She just had to say that, didn't she?

Of course he would. What were friends for, after all?


	5. time

Rinoa let Selphie drag her by the arm across the shopping district, listening with amusement as the girl pointed out the various clothing styles on display. Contrary to popular opinion, she had no interest in fashion whatsoever, lest they impeded her movements at that time. She agreed she could use a change in wardrobe now, though, what with the change in times and all.

It was strange, she thought, how everything and nothing had changed in the months following their triumph against Ultimecia. The human mind really was a funny, adaptable thing, all things considered.

"-noa! Heeey, are you okay?"

Warm hands clasped onto both Rinoa's cheeks, and she let out a sound that was somewhere between a squeak and a shriek. Her eyes trailed towards their owner, who was looking up at her with concern. "If you were getting tired already, you should have said something. I'm not a mind reader, you know?"

"Mm, yeah. Sorry, Selph," she concurred. "Maybe some lunch?"

"There's a cafe down at the next block," Selphie offered. "I heard their meat pies are something!"

Before long, they were making their way again among the throngs of shoppers, Selphie's hand on her arm a somewhat much-needed ground to reality. The two girls managed to secure a corner booth in the nearly-full place, Selphie quickly placing their orders for them. She quickly turned back to Rinoa as soon as the waiter had served them their drinks. "Okay, Rinny, out with it. Did you and Squall have a fight or something?"

Rinoa ducked, her cheeks flushing at the mention of her boyfriend. "Nothing happened, Selph, promise!" They did have a misunderstanding over whose turn it was to feed the chocobo chicks the other day, but it could hardly be called a fight at all.

"Then who hurt you? Nida, Xu, Irvy? Ooooh, I'm _so_ gonna have a word with him! Don't you worry, okay?"

This time, she couldn't help but laugh. "Of course not! Why suddenly Irvine, anyway?" Selphie did have a habit of going off-tangent like that, she had learned over the weeks.

Selphie laughed along, too, before quickly turning serious in a heartbeat. "Seriously, though, Rinoa. Did something happen? You're unusually quiet today."

Rinoa looked away momentarily, biting at her lower lip. "I…" She looked back at Selphie, who raised an eyebrow at her, prompting her to go on.

"These… past few months, have not been the best for us," she began. "I mean, so much has happened, and so many things have changed. Or, well, not really. I mean, it's all weird, really." Maybe her worries at this point were silly at most, but she couldn't get it off her mind for some reason. "Thing is, for me, they have been some of the most enjoyable and memorable of my life… since Mom was alive, anyways."

Rinoa faintly recognized the wetness on her cheeks, but she kept on. Selphie's face softened as she listened to her pour her heart out.

"But then it all comes back to me, that I might as well have destroyed everything if nothing went right. How you all had to work hard and cover for my mistakes. Nobody minds I'm a Sorceress, either. And Squall… oh, Squall! And then I'd think to myself, is it okay for me to hold this much happiness in my hands?"

"Oh, Rinny." At once, Selphie was at her side, small, warm arms enveloping her lithe frame into a girl-hug. They spent a few minutes seated silently, putting their cheeks together. Again with the warm feeling. Rinoa certainly was not afraid of it before, but her own insecurities now said otherwise.

"You know, Rinny," Selphie said after a while, "feeling guilty over your own healing process doesn't help things. It's as you said; we've all been through a lot. Even I still cry over it." She smiled faintly at her own confession, surprising Rinoa. "But then I realized, if I don't let myself feel happy again, I'd never get better. You know what they say, 'Time heals.'"

"No one here begrudges you for what happened," she reassured further. "We're your friends! We'd never do that."

"Friends…" Rinoa echoed thoughtfully. She'd always remind herself that she was but an outsider to their group's long-formed bond, but Selphie dispelled all that now, as if she'd read all her thoughts. 'Not a mind reader,' her foot.

"Yes, friends!" Selphie nodded. "We-ell, it's only been a few months and all, but I'm never wrong about it!"

Rinoa had to agree with Selphie there, at least. Her good intuition was never just for show, after all. Quite a reassuring idea there. She smiled a bit at the thought; maybe she wasn't much of an outsider anymore.

Just then, the waiter arrived with their orders. The smell wafting from the slices of pie was mouthwatering, to say the least. Selphie let go immediately and returned to her seat. "Feeling better now? We still have shopping to do!"

Rinoa nodded. "Thanks, Selph. I guess I owe you one."

"What- of course you don't, silly Rinny!" Selphie began to fan herself as she reached for the glass of water before her. "You're embarrassing me!" They both laughed softly at that.

'Healing, huh,' Rinoa thought to herself. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, after all.

They had all the time in the world for that now.


End file.
